Die Normal
by ifan13
Summary: The Gates of Hell are closed and the world is saved. But something's not right. Sam's coughing up blood and Dean's world might be crashing down around him.


**A/N: **Inspired by speculation on what's causing Sam to cough up blood. Sorry, had to write it. We're on hiatus - this is what happens.

******Disclaimer: **I do not own Supernatural or Sam or Dean or ... anything interesting, really.

**Die Normal**

_It was finished._

The Gates of Hell were finally and actually closed. They'd done it. _And _gotten off unharmed (besides some cracked ribs, broken fingers, and migraines). Sam had said he could pull them through to the light at the end of the tunnel and he had. Amazingly.

"We did it," Dean said, amazed, as he stared at where the fiery pit had been just a moment before. "_You_ did it, Sammy. You were right – I just needed to trust you. There, I said it. Now don't expect me to ever say it again." Dean laughed softly and waited for Sam to come back with some smart ass comment.

But he didn't.

The only answer Dean got was a lung heaving, chest wracking cough.

"Sam? You ok? That sounded bad."

He turned around to see Sam staring at the hand he had just coughed into with confusion all over his face. He looked up at Dean and Dean could have sworn that Sam looked apologetic for some reason.

Then Sam fell to his knees and began to heave up blood.

"SAMMY!"

By the time Dean reached his side a couple of seconds later, Sam was kneeling in a puddle of blood. Dean grabbed Sam's shoulder and tried to get Sam to look at him, but Sam couldn't. He couldn't stop coughing.

"Sam, what's wrong?!" Dean asked even though he knew Sam couldn't answer him. What was going on? He'd thought they'd made it! He'd thought they'd won. Sam had completed the tasks. So what was this?

Suddenly, Dean's mind flashed to all the times in the last month he had heard Sam cough, all the times he'd seen Sam washing his mouth out and spitting in the sink. And it all fit together. This is what he'd been hiding. He'd been sick and hiding it from Dean. Dean had thought Sam's coughing had been some kind of side effect from the trials, but they hadn't been. They'd been side effects of some kind of sickness. And Dean couldn't believe he hadn't realized it sooner.

"Damn it, Sammy. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you do something?"

Dean knew why. Sam hadn't wanted him to do the trials. Damn him. Damn him!

"Cas, come on. Come help us. Please," Dean prayed, even though he knew no help was coming. He knew that Cas was currently out of commission. But he was frantic. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing as Sam's life bled out onto the ground!

Yet that was exactly what he did. Cas couldn't come and Dean couldn't move Sam, he couldn't stop the bleeding, he couldn't do anything. And so he sat there and held Sam's head in his lap while Sam's coughs got weaker and weaker and the pool of blood got bigger and bigger.

"Why is this happening?" Sam was supposed to be ok. He had made it through the trials – now he was supposed to be able to go live a normal life. He was supposed to be safe. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!" Dean shouted at no one in particular.

This wasn't right.

"D- Dean?" Sam managed to get out between coughs.

"Yeah, Sammy?" Dean replied, trying not to cry as he heard how weak Sam's voice was.

"You did say t- to die normal …" Sam whispered.

Die normal? _Die normal?! _

The worst part was he did say that once.

_"If you die, it's gonna be because of something normal."_

"No, Sammy, just- don't- you're not going to- please, Sammy. You gotta stay here with me. You just saved the world. _Please._"

"I'm s-"

Sam's eyes closed and he stopped heaving at last.

And so Sam Winchester passed. He died without fanfare – without an audience of angels, demons, and old enemies. He passed the same way the 7 year old cancer patient in the Children's hospital does, the same way the grandfather in the hospice does – without any strength left to go on, but surrounded by family. That was how Sam died. Betrayed by his own body but holding his brother's hand.

In the end, perhaps that was the way it was always meant to be. Perhaps it was best. In the end, both Sam and Dean got what they wanted. Normal.

**A/N: **What'd you think? Let me know! And let me know what _you_ think is actually going on with the whole Sam/coughing blood situation!


End file.
